New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-24
THE NATAL BUREAUS.


anlently advocated by the present Administra-
ton. In their annual reports and messages
the Secretary Of the Navy and the President
have condemned the present bureau system
and affirmed the necessity OF radical changes.
An llusory scheme of reform is now receiving
The attention of Congress and has been advo-
Gated by tnc majority Of the House Committee
on Naval Affairs The general ground on
which the proposed changes Ire justified Is the
confusion caused 10y the existence OF eight m
dependent bureaus, every one Of which Is over
manned. There is a practical way Of testing
the validity of this criticism. 1t is TO ascer-
tain the number Of naval officers now on duty
in Washington, and the reductions of force
that would be effected by the reorganization
scheme. From official lists we have prepared
the following condensed statement of officers
cmploved in tho eight bureaus Of the Depart
ment:
OFFICERS on DUTY-JANUARY, 1887.
N,vIc ,1IoS-l commodore captain. commanders. 30
leutenants. II ensigns l pymaster assistant
engineer. 7 professors-Tota Ga. ,..
OppN ANGEL commodore, l commander, D ncutenahu-
MEpIcINE AND sURGERY-1 surgeon general and assist
STEAM EyGINTERIvG-I engineerin-chIef chief ens
neer 5 passed assistant engineers asslstah'ehsF
EorirMfxr AND REcRuurNG-1 commodore. l lieutenant
! ensign.-TOtal 8. $500. IL.
ant naval coustructor-Total = , , 80
PROVISIONS AND CLOrnISG-l paymaster general AZ
Y,Rps and DocKs-l commodore l Neutenanteom-
mnnder.-Total ,.
WHOLE NUMBER l. EIGHT BUREAus-99.
From these lists it appears that Ga of the 90
officers now on duty in the bureaus are con-
nectcd with the Bureau Of Navigation. AS
this bureau is retained IN the new scheme with
those of Ordnance, Medicine and Surgery, and
Steam Engineering (the last named degraded
TO a sub bureau, So out Of 30 officers Will not
DO affected by the proposed changes. There
arc three other sub-biuraus and two bureaus
provided for in the new scheme, and officers
will have to he detailed for them. II Is quite
safe TO assume that more than ii officers VIII
10 required for these five organized agencies
of work. What then will lie gained by sub
shutting five bureaus and four sub-brrcnus for
the existing eight bureaus Certainly there
will be no reduction either in the number of
department agencies or in the number OF
officers employed. There will lie more in place
of less mechanism in the Department, and more
officers on the ground TO watch the wheels 60
round.
Thcso tabulated lists fully confirm TIE
TRIBuNE's position that what is needed in the
Navy Department first Of all is a ra1ical meas
ure of decentralization. The eight bureau
chiefs were originally Of equal rank. The
Chief of the Bureau Of Navigation is now an
autOcrat in the service. 1wo-thrds Of The
number of officers on duty in the bureaus are
his own subordnatcs. Twenty officers unclud-
ing two Rcar-Admirlls three Comlnodoics two
Captains, ono Lieutenant Commander five
Lieutenants and seven staff ofiicers) arc detailed
by him for special duty in Washington outside
tho bureaus In the Navy Yard there are 81
line and staff officers under his orders. He has
entire charge Of the detail Of all officers in the
service. receives all correspondence and dis
patches, and practically exercises supreme con
troll over the Department Win 10 ont
Of $50 naval officers now employed in Wash
ington subject 10 ms capriccs, he has behind
him a great body of fayontes, umc-scrvcrs and
obsequious hattercrs and with seven bureaus
unable 10 resist tho cncroachmcnts Of his own
and with the entire naval force under his con
troll, this prctentiOus parsonage has become the
power behind the throne. Decentralization is
needed first Of all ; and then thorough re-
organization OF the Department.